Maple Cornbread

Sweet or savory, I like cornbread in just about any form it comes in. But if I have to choose between the two, I’ll opt for slightly sweet over savory almost every time. This is simply because I feel that sweet cornbread is slightly more versatile. It goes well with chilis, meats and other savory/spicy foods and can also be eaten with jam for breakfast. A cornbread packed with chili peppers can be eaten with jam, but it’s not quite the same with a latte.

This cornbread is on the sweet side, made with the addition of maple syrup in place of sugar. The syrup does not have a strong presence in the finished cornbread, largely because there is also plenty of sweet corn mixed in, but does give it a unique and subtle flavor. I like to serve this with butter and more maple syrup, or with maple butter (soften butter and mix in maple syrup, the chill), but you can do just about anything with a batch. It makes a great side dish with a hearty meal if there is a sauce or gravy that will need mopping up and is equally good for breakfast. You can even use it to make dressing/stuffing for a turkey.

I used my Baker’s Edge pan for this batch of cornbread so each piece has a nice edge and it was very easy to slice up. If you don’t have one, you can use a 9×9″ square pan, although it might take a couple extra minutes in the oven to ensure that the center is completely cooked through.

Oh – and if you want to get nice littler butter balls for your cornbread like the one pictured above (not healthy, but makes for an attractive presentation), simply soften your butter and use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to form each ball. Whipped butter tends to look slightly better when balled, in my opinion, but use any kind you like. The balls can be stored in the fridge to ensure that they don’t melt together while you’re waiting to serve them.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan or a Baker’s Edge pan (my preference).
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, syrup and buttermilk. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Mix in corn kernels and pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. A 9×9 pan may take an additional couple of minutes.
Cool in pan before slicing.